The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-09-04
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why We DO II.

fFVW sCtcHets
In an address to the Anthropologlcnl Sos
ciety Of Brussels, Prof. Leo Errera has given q
resnm6 OF some points I'm tho chemical theory
co ss 9e S eaS
periodic functions In general may aid In asccr.
rhythm Is regulated BY the amount q
oxygen w end Garb9nc, a &C. IN the a,fteril
Tho 1hS eoSd Is W
psnds ACTIVITY but soon THO tssns c yrd their
bonic acid. and no blood thus modified acts 10
IN excitnnt TO the. respiratory centre. Nanke
has shown that tho intipno and recovery u
accumulation and discharge OF certain IA.
10 aeId. An iniso,ion Of this acid, acid into flesh
the acid out restores tho activity.
Cannot sloep BIO explained by similar chem:
Binz obcrstciner. and othors who ali agree ss ia
making the accumulation OF certain products
Of Of 81 iasss q ssG
lie, aro readily oxidizablc. and absorb the oXy.
centres until action is impossible Gnd serp
sets in. Gradually the ponogens urc destroyed
by oxidation slight exetasiop is SUFFICIENT ", to
Among the. ponogens Preyer counts luciic acid
as tho chief. but tho experimental dcmonstra.
Since these researches Armand Gau,ier has
sane bases en a. epeane
santhne and sa s them leus2manSs o sn
these substances are NARCOTIC, fatiguing. ard
sometimes lead to vomiting. This is lust what
the chemical theory requires, me porioaciy
ton Of energy being applicable to all bodily
activity: work must be followed by repair: lilo
Is b eG sqeie acaS II bas
ia a direct one upon the brain; 1t is direct Ia.
toxication of the brain centres.
..f Al. 1tIgfN rff
factors-work, fatigue, and sleep; The chcmi.
cal theory satisfies these demands. All work.
These accGmaatc. maRe work more more and more
difficult; this is fatigue. As the, process con-
the MasS ibs noab the sr;
(iust az dose of morphine does), ard render
them incapable Of action: that is sleep. The
There is n constant struggle against the Ia
tigue. which for u time, by dint OF hurd work
snesoe s at the ms
treme limit Of work: the sensatinn Of fatigue
intervenes to prevent such disaster. "a;
from muscle to nervo and from nerve to nerve
centre. We may DO very Itirel from repeatedly
generally sleepy Without any considerable local
fatigue. One Is pcripheral. the other central.
As the waste products accumulate hna in the cen;
more sluggish until the time comes when tho
ordinary stimuiaton no longer aronses then.
eRS s'eh sas sisep to os h
rarchicul order. the highest serving the most
delicate function going first. In waking, tho
reverse Is the case; the motor centres may he
asleep while tho intellectual centres are awake.
In somnambuiism the latter may be- asleep
whilo the former nre awake.
Tho depth OF sleep, according to this theory,
ought to be proportional to the number of cor.
ticnl molecules in combination with the leuco.
miiines. In tho beginning of sleep these are
abundant, the cerebral cells inactive, and u
combination easy. The sleep is deep. Soon
the maximum number OF combinations is
reached, and sleep 10 deepest. From here on,
the leucomtines are gradually eliminated and
destroyed, and sleep should decrease with q
decreasing intensity. Kohlschhtters eXperi-
ments on the Intensity Of sleep as tested BY
tho curve for tho intensity of sleep correspond
ing to what we should expect by our theory,
Variations in our sleep. caused by an excess OF
work. &C.. arc evidently similarly eXpllcablc.
In short, fatigue Is poison for which sleep is
the normal antidote.
This theory maintains ~ that the activity Of
all tho tissues land primarily of the two most
active. the nervous and muscular) gives rise to
substances. more or less allied to alkaloids,
the leucomiines: t2) that these induce fatigue
and sleep: t3) that on waking, II the body iS
rested. these substances have disappeared.
To complete the demonstration OF these
statements much careful experimentation is
necessary; but tho facts RS lar Hs.they go make
1t probable that the chemical theory OF sleep
will gain in strength with our knowledge.